


How to Open a Can of Worms

by dogeared



Category: Stargate Atlantis
Genre: Community: casa_mcshep, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2009-02-01
Updated: 2009-02-01
Packaged: 2017-10-05 19:22:31
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 460
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/45239
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dogeared/pseuds/dogeared
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It happened again, and again, and again, and Rodney wasn't getting any younger, and fine, if John was the can of worms in this scenario, then Rodney was just going to have to be the goddamned can opener.</p>
            </blockquote>





	How to Open a Can of Worms

Rodney kept meaning to ask. He kept _trying_ to ask, but John obviously had some kind of sixth sense about this, because anytime Rodney even got close—anytime Rodney even started to _think_ about opening his mouth to bring it up—John suddenly had somewhere else he needed to be five minutes ago.

It happened again, and again, and again, and Rodney wasn't getting any younger, and fine, if John was the can of worms in this scenario, then Rodney was just going to have to be the goddamned can opener.

It took a little doing, but Rodney knew how to do, and he managed to corner John in a small storage alcove with no exit besides the door Rodney made sure to plant himself in front of.

In the face of the success of Rodney's brilliant plan, John slumped against the wall, looking like all the flight and all the fight had gone out of him. Rodney had more plans, too—about how subtle he was going to be (sneaky, even, if necessary); about how, through a cunning combination of empathy and understanding, he'd have John spilling all of his secret hang-ups. What came out of Rodney's mouth, though, was, "Okay, so could you tell me _why_ you're being such a jerk about this?"

"Sorry," John said, and slumped more.

_HA_, Rodney thought. He might have said it, too, but John was, amazingly, still talking.

"I thought—look, I know what you look like when you're gearing up to give bad news, Rodney, and I thought it was going to be, you know. Bad. Something bad."

Oh, and that was just . . . Well. That actually derailed Rodney a little. He took a step closer to John, who was going to fall over if he slumped any further. "But why? This is, I mean, I thought—" Rodney swallowed and waved his hand in the air between them. "This is good, isn't it?"

John just looked at him, and Rodney guessed that this was his moment—only now that he had it, well, it wasn't as easy to say as he thought it would be. He crossed his arms and lifted his chin, took a deep breath and said, "It's not bad, okay? At least I hope it isn't. I just wanted to know, um. If you wanted to keep some stuff. At my place." Rodney dropped his chin and dropped his arms and stepped right up into John's space and finished, "Like, all of it. Maybe?"

John stood up a little straighter, which put him even closer to Rodney. "All of it?"

"Everything but your ridiculous bed," Rodney said, and he could feel his mouth tilting into a smile. Yeah, they were good, and they were only going to get better.


End file.
